Thousands line up for Muhammad Ali’s funeral

Thousands of people on Friday cheered and threw roses in the streets of Muhammad Ali’s hometown Louisville as they bade farewell to the boxing legend and civil rights hero known as “The Greatest”.

A mass funeral procession, a private burial and public memorial service wrapped up two days of tributes to the three-time heavyweight world champion, who died last week at 74 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

For more than two hours, the funeral procession moved slowly through the city of 600,000 in the southern US state of Kentucky where Ali was born at a time of racial segregation.

The cortege passed by sites that were important to “The Champ”: his childhood home, the Ali Center, the Center for African American Heritage — which focuses on the lives of blacks in Kentucky — and along Muhammad Ali Boulevard before arriving at the Cave Hill Cemetery for a hero’s burial.

Actor Will Smith — who earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Ali on the silver screen — and former heavyweight champions Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis were among the pallbearers at the burial, which was closed to the public.

On Friday afternoon (US time), Ali was honoured at an interfaith memorial service at a large sports arena that brought together VIPs and fans alike, with former US President Bill Clinton and comedian Billy Crystal giving eulogies. Some 15,500 attended the memorial service — with free tickets snapped up in a half-hour and a black market for the coveted tickets sprouting online.